In the assembling of components to produce an article of manufacture, there is often a requirement that various permutations of first elements be assembled on or in a base or second element. One such article of manufacture is a printed circuit board with an edge connector that receives terminals extending from so-called back plane connectors mounted on telephone switch frames. The various circuit boards contain different patterns of circuit paths and different assemblages of diverse components. In order to provide a means for correctly installing the circuit boards on the appropriate back plane connectors, the circuit board edge connectors are keyed with permutations of plugged holes which restrict the installation of each keyed connector on a discrete complementary set of studs projecting from a particular back plane connector.
One application of the present invention encompasses methods and means for automatically installing various permutations of keying plugs in arrays of holes formed in successive printed circuit board edge connectors. Other applications of the invention contemplate the assembling of other elements such as pin terminals in various permutations of holes formed in a circuit component such as a circuit board or chassis.